Bonobo

보노보

A slender great ape found only in the rainforests south of the Congo River. Females play a central role in the group, and bonobos are known for settling conflicts through social contact rather than fighting. It is endangered.

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At a glance

Class: Mammals
Lives in: Rainforest south of the Congo River, DR Congo
Diet: Eats both plants and meat (omnivore)
Weight: about 39 kg
Length: about 0.77 m
Lifespan: up to about 40 years
Conservation status: Endangered (IUCN EN)
Habitat: rainforests

Quick answers

Where does the Bonobo live?

It lives in rainforests. On the globe you can find it near Rainforest south of the Congo River, DR Congo.

How big is the Bonobo?

It grows to about 0.77 m and 39 kg.

What does the Bonobo eat?

Its diet: eats both plants and meat (omnivore).

How long does the Bonobo live?

It can live up to about 40 years.

Is the Bonobo endangered?

It is listed as Endangered (IUCN EN).

The bonobo is a great ape found only in the rainforests of the Congo Basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, south of the Congo River. It is smaller and more slender than the chimpanzee, and the two apes are our closest living relatives.

Bonobos have long limbs, a dark face, pink lips, a tuft of tail hair even as adults and long, parted hair on the head. They live in primary forest, secondary forest and swamp forest that is flooded in some seasons. The IUCN lists the bonobo as Endangered. Along with the chimpanzee, it is the closest living relative of humans.

What do bonobos eat?

Bonobos eat mostly fruit. This is different from common chimpanzees, which hunt small monkeys and antelope more often. Bonobos live in groups in which females play a central role, and they are known for solving conflicts with social contact rather than fighting. Bonobos were first thought to be a type of chimpanzee because they look so similar. Today they are recognised as a separate species, the smallest great ape.

Why only south of the river?

Neither bonobos nor chimpanzees are good swimmers. When the Congo River formed about 1.5 to 2 million years ago, it may have split the ancestors of the two species. Bonobos ended up south of the river and chimpanzees north of it. Because of political instability and the bonobo's shyness, relatively little field work has been done. They live in a part of Africa that is hard to reach, so researchers still have much to learn about them.

Fun facts

Found only south of the Congo River, bonobos and chimpanzees are our closest living relatives.
Bonobos were once called pygmy chimpanzees.
Their range is around 500,000 square kilometres in the Congo Basin.
Bonobos typically live about 40 years in captivity.